Ways of forming imperatives
There are no special imperative verb forms or imperative sentence structures in Navajo. Any sentence with a second or a fourth person subject can be understood as imperative as long as the meaning of the rest of the sentence allows it.
Navajo has sentences that can be used as commands or requests, formed with a second person subject, with the verb in certain modes. There also are less direct ways of making commands or requests that are formed with a fourth person subject. These sentences can be affirmative or negative. Below are examples of each of these:
Second Person Affirmation
Shíká | ’anilyeed. |
1-for | 2-run.I |
Help me. / You’re helping me. (lit. You’re running for me.) |
Second Person Negation
Optative
Mósí | ch’óółt’e’. |
cat | out-3-2-take.Opt |
Don’t put the cat out! (YMM 1992:882) [[CHECK with speakers]] |
Optative + lágo
Mósí | ch’óółt’e’ | lágo. |
cat | out-3-2-carry.O | hope.not |
Don’t put the cat out! / I hope you don’t put the cat out. |
t’áadoo V-í
T’áadoo | ’anit’íní! |
neg | 2-do.NI-Í |
Don’t do that! |
Fourth Person Affirmative
Hatáaldi | jigháahgo | hozhdísin | łeh. |
ceremony-at | 4-go.I-GO | 4-respect.NI | usually |
One should be respectful when one goes to a ceremony. |
Fourth Person Negation
Doo | ’ájíníi | da! |
neg | 4-say.NI | -neg |
One doesn’t say that! |
The imperfective mode yields an immediate imperative (i.e., something that requires immediate action), and the future mode is more likely to be used for commands that are less immediate. The optative mode is often used with imperative negations. See also Reichard (1951:137), YM (1987:204), and YMM (1992:881f.). YM (1987:204-5) presents examples of imperatives in numerous aspects. We do not repeat this work here but refer the reader to these sources.
In Navajo, commands seem to be indirect, arising by implication and inference. Sentences with fourth person subjects are often general statements about what constitutes good behavior. The person spoken to is left to infer that the reason the speaker chose to utter the general statement is to affect the hearer’s behavior. Hence, there can be an implication of a command. Statements using the optative mode with lágo express the hopes of the speaker (‘I hope you don’t do this’ or ‘I hope that doesn’t happen’). The behavior in question is understood to be inconsistent with the speaker's desires. If the speaker is in a position of authority, the result is an indirect imperative.
Glossing conventions and a note on morphology are here [link].
An example search has returned 50 entries
’Ak’ah ła’ dishhį́įhgo baa naashá.
lard some 3-1-melt.I 3-to 1-go.CII am busy melting some lard.
bookmark- Imperfective (I) (∅, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- dishhį́įh melt itfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- -go verb and subordinating encliticfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -aa tofind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- naashá go aboutfind in Navajo Verb Modes
’Ahbínídą́ą́’ t’áadoo ’ííyą́ą́’góó biniinaa wónáásdóó sitsiits’iin diniih.
morning-past neg 1-eat.P-GO.NEG because soon 1-head 3-ache.CII didn’t eat this morning, so my head is aching.
bookmark- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ashą́ eatfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- Continuative Imperfective (CI)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- díníshniih ache, be in painfind in Navajo Verb Modes
- ’ahbínídą́ą́’ this morningfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -niinaa because of, on account offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
’At’éédísh yiniłtsą́?
girl-Q 3-2-see.P’Ałk’idą́ą́’ ’ayóo nahałtin ńt’éé’.
long.ago very areal-rain.I past’Áłchíní hastą́ą́ binidááhaidóó deigo hodees’áago t’áá ’ałtso da’ółta’go yá’át’ééh.
children six 3-year.P-from up areal-extend.NP all pl-3-study.NI-GO 3-good.N’Éí naanishígíí haa nízahdę́ę́’ binanilnishgo hoolzhiizh?
that work-ÍGÍÍ how 3-long.N-past 3-2-work-GO time.move.P’Ííshją́ą́ shį́į́ díí ’atoo’ béésh bii’ kǫ’í bikáá’ dah séką́.
certainly perhaps this stew stove 3-on up 3-1-put.OC.PDon’t forget that I put the stew on the stove.
bookmark- ’ííshją́ą́ certainlyfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- -káá’ on, on top offind in Navajo Postposition Lexicon
- dah up at an elevation, off, static, holdingfind in Navajo Adverb Lexicon
- location
- Perfective (P) (yi, ni, si, yi-∅)find in Navajo Verb Modes
- shishkaah put it on a surface (OC)find in Navajo Verb Modes
-k’ee
-sh
Bee ’atiní ’éí doo ’ashohodoobéézhgóó bee ’azk’az.
freezer TOP extremely 3-with 3-cold.SPNch’į́į́góó
Chidí daats’í bee hólǫ́ ’éí doodaii’ niísh chidí nee hólǫ́?
car maybe 3-with 4-exist.N TOP or 2-Q car 2-with 4-exist.NIDa’ Cubadę́ę́’ tsinaa’eeł nił ní’éél?
Q Cuba-from boat 2-with 3-float.Pdajiłhį́į́h
pl-3DO-4dpl-melt.it.(snow).IDamóo yę́ędą́ą́’ dziłghą́ą́’dę́ę́’ shádí dóó ba’áłchíní bił ’adaashkai.
sunday past-time mountain top.of-from 1-elder.sister and 3-children 3-with downward-1-go.Pl.Pdaooyą́ą́’
pl-3DO-2dpl-eat.it.PDá ák’ehdi shizhé’é bił nishishnish j́į́į́dą́ą́. (YM 1968: 598)
Plant.field-at 1-father with 3-1-worked.P today.pastDíí łééchąą’í dah doosłóós laanaa.
this dog 1-lead.O.ADV-laanaa optative particle for a positive wish, hope or desire.Díkwíí shą’ ninááhai?
how.many Q 2-winter.NIDoo t’áá k’ad chidí na’ní’ą́ą da.
NEG just now vehicle 2-3-1-lend.P NEGHa’át’éegosh náníldzid?
why-Q 2-fear.IHa’át’íísh biniinaa naníchxǫ’?
what-Q 3-because 2-pout.CIHa’át’íísh Mary nayiisnii’?
What-Q Mary 3-to.buy.IHa’át’íí lá nizhé’é yaa naaghá?
what Q 2-father 3-about 3-do.CIhaa yídéetą́ą́’
hadadéélbįįd
pl-3DO-1dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.Pfill something up with it, 1st person plural
bookmarkhadazhdééłbįįd
pl-3DO-4dpl-fill.something.up.with.it.Pfill something up with it, 4th person plural
bookmarkHazhóʼí sínídá. Tʼáadoo naaní’dííldisí.
careful 2-sit.I NEG again-2-wander.Prog-íháágóó
jiigish
3DO-4-make.one.cut.in.it.IK’ad cháshk’eh góyaa tó deg ’anool’ąął.
now wash area-down water up 3-move.ProgNaadą́ą́’ lá haa néelą́ą́’ nida’ak’eh biyi’ góne’?
corn Q how 3.much.N 2-cornfield 3-in thereNaaltsoos yiníshta’go shíni’ shaa ’áyiilaa.
book 3-1-read.I-GO 1-mind 1-for 3-3-make.PNédáá dóó bikáá’adání bik’i ndinís’eez.
1-sit and table 3-on 1-place-1-foot.Pnidadiilyeeł
pl-3DO-1dpl-carry.a.ropelike.thing.around.Fcarry a ropelike thing around, 1st person plural
bookmarkNíwe, tʼáádoo tózis disxǫsí yóóʼ ahiłdliidí.
stop NEG liquid.container plastic 3-2-throw.away.R.NEGShá bíighah na’ashkǫ́ǫ́’.
sun proportionate 1-swim.CIShilį́į́’ tł’aaká’ii dóó shilį́į́’ biyéél bił tsodizin ’íishłaa.
1-appaloosa and 1-horse 3-saddle 3-with prayer 3-1-make.PShimá bighangóó shíni’ ńt’éé’ ch’ééh déyáago shił náhoogéé’.
1-mother 3-home-to 1-desire.to.go past in.vain 1-go.P-GO 1-with ho-become.lazy.XI wanted to go to my mother’s house however I was tired and became lazy.
bookmark